Mysterious Cuba, Part 4: Cthulhu’s Kraken Resort

I returned in 2017 to continue research and swim at Playa Jibacoa. This hidden spot is roughly halfway between Varadero and Havana and a destination for divers and snorkelers. If you are a strong swimmer, a section of coral reef is within reach of shore.

The staff here are mostly friendly. It took a couple of days but I got to know the other guests and learned there are many regulars. You will often hear people say they have been coming here for years.

The “lobby” of the resort is in its own separate building where you find the front desk and a bar off to the side. Sitting at one of the tables, my attention was drawn to a mural on the wall. It might have been an artistic representation of a reef but it looked more like the cover of a H.P. Lovecraft story collection, complete with long tentacles and underwater scenes that somehow don’t make sense.

The mysterious oceans present a wellspring for the human imagination. From Lord Tennyson to H.P Lovecraft, writers have created intruiging stories of things hidden in the deep.

Lovecraft wrote weird tales of advanced beings that sleep and dream in the “slime” at the bottom of sea. Quite often, some poor New Englander will go insane after discovering these creatures. I think it was Lovecraft’s sense of humor saying the people of his day were living inside a box and one day a monster would rise out of the sea to literally trash their world.

The secret priests would take great Cthulhu from His tomb to revive His subjects and resume His rule of earth. The time would be easy to know, for then mankind would have become as the Great Old Ones; free and wild and beyond good and evil, with laws and morals thrown aside and all men shouting and killing and reveling in joy”.
– from H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

Cthulhu is Lovecraft’s most prominent creature and his tentacle-face image has been borrowed by the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. A popular movie about Lovecraft’s behemoth has yet to be made but if done well enough, it might strike terror in the same way as Orson Wells famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast. For Cthulhu is no pirate but an ingenious and invincible monster.

Cthulhu, “the Great Dreamer”{{PD-US}}

Del Toro’s film, The Shape of Water (2017), asks the audience to be sympathetic to an non-human amphibious creature. The director won best picture for a film that mates a human with an amphibian similar to another of Lovecraft’s monsters, the Dagon. It forces us to ask, ‘Could something akin to Cthulhu, aka “the great dreamer”, be influencing our dreams to ready humanity for an age where monsters rule?’

I hope not but scientists have recently discovered ways to manipulate the dreams of animals:

“In 2001, MIT researchers found that if you direct rats through mazes, their brains fire in the same way while sleeping. In 2006 they found that rats likely dream in images, and in 2012 they successfully manipulated the dreams of the rodents. The researchers trained the rats to run through mazes by playing different auditory tones for different directions, then, in sleep, played random tones, apparently shifting the rats slumbering experience. “When the sound associated with the left side of the maze was played, the dream content switched to memories of running down the left side of the maze,” lead researcher Matthew Wilson said in an interview. ‘When the sound associated with the right side was played, the dream content switched to the right side of the maze’. (see https://www.thecut.com/2016/10/do-animals-dream.html)

Lab rats and animal experiments aside, a sufficiently advanced and psychically developed creature might be able to influence the dreams of the underdeveloped and spiritually-lacking. To think that we might be the “rats” in Cthulhus’s maze is a disturbing thought to say the least!

Scarily enough, it seems that dreams can be influenced telepathically! At the Maimonides Medical Center, parapsychologist Stanley Krippner and associates found evidence that people were able to telepathically influence the dreams of others (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bluy9qvN0Qg&t=99s at 25:07). Critics later said the experiments were not replicated (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_telepathy#Experiments) but others argue the replication results say otherwise.

“When we look at all the attempted (dream telepathy) replications we still get an above chance ratio”.
– Stanley Krippner.

(For the source of this statement and more information on dream telepathy see the following interview):

A Dream Experiment

Like other questors, I want to see the Cuban Underwater City (see part 1 of this series). So I thought I might try something akin to remote viewing while visiting the resort.

Apparently, in addition to telepathy we have the ability to see things distant in space and time. Much to the chagrin of the Guerrilla Skeptics on Wikipedia, remote viewing and psychic ability appear to be real! According to former president of the American Statistical Association, Jessica Utts, the evidence for psychic functioning is undeniable:

“Using the standards applied to any other area of science, it is concluded that psychic functioning has been well established. The statistical results of the studies examined are far beyond what is expected by chance. Arguments that these results could be due to methodological flaws in the experiments are soundly refuted. Effects of similar magnitude to those found in government sponsored research at SRI and SAIC have been replicated at a number of laboratories across the world. Such consistency cannot be readily explained by claims of flaws or fraud”.
-Jessica Utts,
Department of Statistics
University of California, Irvine.
(see http://www.deanradin.com/evidence/Utts1996.pdf)

In Lovecraft’s classic short novel The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, the story protagonist Randolph Carter attempts to see a majestic and forbidden city through his night-time dreams. Likewise, I wondered if I could use nighttime dreams to view the “Underwater City” of the non-fiction world.

Some believe that dreams are only constructions of the brain and the lucid dreamer does not actually travel. But a review of the literature on psychic dreams allows me to consider otherwise (see http://www.worlddreambank.org/G/GEODE.HTM and the work of Louisa Rhine). We seem to have the ability to perceive things distant in space and time and apparently, this ability extends during sleep.

I am also encouraged by the writings of the researcher and writer, Colin Wilson. Wilson had much success with lucid dreaming when he reminded himself during the day of his goals. I thought if I could remind myself during waking hours, I might just glimpse the underwater city during slumber.

At regular intervals during the day, I reminded myself to seek the city while I slept. Since it is easy to forget dreams during the day, I left a journal by my bed to record what was experienced.

I dreamt of things back home the first night but remained hopeful. I normally dream well and can remember the content for a short time upon waking. Rarely does a night go by where there are no dreams to recall but for mornings 2 thru 7 of my vacation, I couldn’t remember a thing!

Oddly enough, all dreams were blacked out! I attempted to see if there were other intervening variables. I was away from home but that never interfered with dream recall. Alcohol was not much a factor as on this particular trip, I drank very little. After viewing the above Stanley Krippner interview, I am looking for data on electrical storms over Cuba and sunspot activity for the month of November, 2017 in case that created “noise” or influenced psychic ability.

I don’t know if something prevented me from seeing the underwater city but being unable to remember a single dream was peculiar. It doesn’t serve as “proof” but I began to wonder if there might be some kind of psychic barrier surrounding the Cuban Underwater City.

Randolph Carter, the protagonist in Lovecraft’s tale, is blocked from “seeing” the forbidden city – perhaps there are places “off-limits” to human extrasensory perception and secured by psychic guardians.

The Yonaguni Monument

The Cuban Underwater city is too deep for divers and close inspection but something a little more tangible exists in the waters off the the Ryukyu Islands in Japan. The Yonaguni Monument is at the center of a lively debate.

According to Masaaki Kimura, a marine geologist at the University of the Ryukyus;

“I think it’s very difficult to explain away their origin as being purely natural, because of the vast amount of evidence of man’s influence on the structures”. (see https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070919-sunken-city_2.html)

There are gigantic staircases and terrace or plaza-like platforms built in a style that reminds me of an ancient acropolis such as the ad hoc ancient Mayan structures at Tonina or Peidra Negras.

It also makes me think of the Sumerian Ziggurat:

Interestingly, Sumerians and others had an amphibious teacher (the Enki-Dagon-Oannes) and the Mesoamericans (including Mayans and Aztecs) had the “feathered serpent” Quetzalcoatl who was also a bringer of civilization.

Could there be a connection between these acropolis structures and the abodes of non-human teacher “gods”?

Others believe that the Yonaguni monument was constructed or modified by giants:

He has said the geometry of the dream-place he saw was abnormal, non-Euclidean, and loathsomely redolent of spheres and dimensions apart from ours. Now an unlettered seaman felt the same thing whilst gazing at the terrible reality… Johansen and his men landed at a sloping mud-bank on this monstrous Acropolis, and clambered sloppily up over titan oozy blocks which could have been no mortal staircase”.
– from H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

Some disagree with Kimura; Boston University geologist Robert Schoch argues the Yonaguni monument is only natural:

“Professor Kimura says he has seen some kind of writing or images, but they are just scratches on a rock that are natural… It’s not as regular as many people claim, and the right angles and symmetry don’t add up in many places.” (ibid. See see https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070919-sunken-city_2.html)

Euclidean right angles and symmetry might be functional and pleasing to humans but what if the monument was built by something that dwells in more than 3 spatial dimensions?

Lovecraft again comes to mind:

The antiquity of the spot was unwholesome and I longed to encounter some sign or device to prove that the city was indeed fashioned by mankind. There were certain proportions and dimensions in the ruins which I did not like”.
– from H.P Lovecraft, The Nameless City

Yonaguni

I wonder if Yonaguni might be related to the underwater palace of Japanese folklore. This place is mentioned in “Urashima Tarō”; a tale of a fisherman who rides a turtle to the “dragon palace” that lies deep beneath the sea. This is the home of the Japanese dragon who is able to transform into human shape. In the story, Taro is entertained by the dragon’s daughter, Otohime for what seems a few days. Upon returning to his village, Taro learns that 300 hundred years have passed in his own time!

It would seem Taro had crossed time as well as spatial dimensions to stay at the palace of a sea serpent (more on this in an upcoming post on Scotland, the Loch Ness Monster and Time Travel; coming this Summer!).

Was Lovecraft Right?

Some might claim the Petra Snake Monument in Jordan looks like Cthulhu with the body of a snake but it is a bit of stretch to consider this proof of “Ancient Ones” or an “Elder God” reality. To be fair, there isn’t much evidence at this time to point to a Lovecraftian version of history. Strange formations like Yonaguni do exist but we do not know for sure if they were once cities occupied by non-human monsters. It might be Denisovan or just natural as professor Schoch believes.

Lovecraft’s tales are only fiction yet his ideas might give an alternative hypothesis to some of the out-of-place and out-of-time underwater finds. Atlantis and Mu might not account for every ancient city-like anomaly. If it is a ruin and not a natural formation, the Cuban underwater city might be a prehistorical construction by a non-human intelligence!

Lovecraft’s stories might just be fiction but the search for non-human intelligence on Earth could be a worthwhile pursuit with practical applications for the future. For example, if human beings will someday explore deep space, we should have an idea how to identify and approach other intelligences!

Reefer Madness

Getting back to the Jibacoa resort, I was ready to see the nearby reef and went out on a calm and beautiful day. After swimming at length, I reached the shoal and began exploring. My mask fogged up on occasion but I was able to encircle an entire reef. I saw the marvelous fish, coral and aquatic plants living there. Far beneath, I saw a pair of divers exploring the base and sea bed.

I can now appreciate the importance of the buddy system as my leg locked into a painful cramp. For the next twenty minutes I could only tread water as an extreme pain held me in grip! Luckily, I was able to relax and massage the muscle enough to swim back to shore.

Tip: At Cuban resorts the solo traveler can easily make new friends. If you can befriend another tourist you feel is mature, competent and level-headed, ask them to swim along with you. Avoid “fishy” people.

The Brilliant Octopus

It is believed the Octopus evolved intelligence millions of years before people. These creatures employ tools, solve problems and use visual cues to mimic their environment. Octopus videos on YouTube, show them solving problems that would perplex many humans!

Animal intelligence is a controversial topic but in the Octopus and other Cephalopods (including squids and cuttlefish) the “impressive spatial learning capacity, navigational abilities, and predatory techniques” are widely acknowledged by the research community (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalopod_intelligence).

In some aquariums, octopuses have learned to turn down the lights by shooting jets of water and shorting the circuit (see https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-mind-of-an-octopus/).

Keepers have multiple problems with the creature that finds its way out of the tank to eat other aquarium creatures and escapes down drainage pipes. Consider the story of Inky, the New Zealand Octopus that got away:

An Octopus will also flood the Aquarium where it is kept (https://www.polygongroup.com/en-US/blog/octopus-floods-aquarium/). The media put it down to curiosity but I think the flooding might be an expression of discontent, even anger. The creatures will often spray workers they don’t like. Flooding the entire aquarium could be their way of making a definitive point:

“When you work with fish, they have no idea they are in a tank, somewhere unnatural. With octopuses it is totally different. They know that they are inside this special place, and you are outside it. All their behaviors are affected by their awareness of captivity.”
-Stefan Linquist, University of Guelph

Linquist’s suctioned subjects have also caused flooding in the lab. (see https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-mind-of-an-octopus/)

Like other intelligent animals, the octopus does not like to be imprisoned or bored. According to researcher Jennifer Mather, the octopus will engage in play behavior. That is, “the deliberate, repeated, outwardly useless activity through which smarter animals explore their world and refine their skills” (see http://discovermagazine.com/2003/oct/feateye).

It turns out that octopuses are not the solitary creatures scientists once thought but can live together in “cities” (see http://www.businessinsider.com/octopus-city-octlantis-discovered-2017-9). The Octopus also builds shelters on the sea floor (see https://www.cbsnews.com/news/octopuses-build-coconut-shell-shelters/) and “decorates” these homes!

Former Beatle Ringo Starr wrote the famous song about the Octopus’s Garden after hanging out with a ship’s captain. One night over dinner, the captain told Starr how the octopus is observed to pick up stones and shiny objects which they use to build “gardens”. Sick and and tired of tensions within the Beatles camp, Starr liked the idea of escaping under the sea and hiding out in an Octopus’s Garden where there would be no one to tell him “what to do” (listen to “Abbey Road”. The Beatles Interview Database. Retrieved 25 September 2009. The song itself is on the Abbey Road record).

These “gardens” seem to indicate the octopus values aesthetics – a sensibility often associated with the art and symbolism of humans. It is possible the octopus can think in terms of symbols and such representations might turn up in Cephalopod dreams:

“Cephalopods — and in particular, octopuses — have been found to have very similar wavy brainwaves associated with REM sleep. These brainwaves also indicate that octopuses go through sleep cycles, much like humans and other vertebrates. Octopuses, domestic and in the wild, will crawl into their homes, narrow their eyes, and remain still for long periods of time. Every once in a while, for about 15 minutes, they will rapidly change color and twitch their tentacles. Scientists once thought they were hyper-vigilant — waking to check on their surroundings — but now believe this movement is evidence of REM sleep”. (see http://animals.mom.me/octopuses-sleep-2969.html)

So not only are they smart, they likely dream! Cthulhu might not be the only tentacled creature haunting the dreamworld!

Journalist Max Knoblauch jokes the octopus is the species most likely to “overthrow humans”! (see https://psmag.com/environment/planet-octopuses-animal-species-likely-rise-overthrow-humans-67576). Who knows? They might pop up to steal our condos, shiny trinkets and shruberry one day! Fortunately for us, the average octopus has a lifespan of only 3-5 years, making strategy and the long-term knowledge accumulation required for advanced warfare improbable.

But what if there is a longer-living, super-intelligent and more aggressive Cephalopod waiting for the right time to return and conquer?

It wasn’t until the 21st century scientists were able to confirm the existence of the Giant Squid. Marine Biologist Danna Staaf points out that Cephalopods ruled the oceans long before humans, mammals and even dinosaurs entered the picture (see her 2017 book “Squid Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Cephalopods”).

An advanced dreaming creature might decide it’s time to rise and take the world. Human beings have been effecting the environment at an alarming rate and UFOs have a history of showing up around our Nuclear facilities and tests (see “Owned by Aliens? US missile guards claim UFOs target global nukes” on YouTube and the voluminous work of ufologist Robert Hastings).

Are some UFOs and USOs the materialized avatars of a dreaming non-human intelligence?

Present Speculation

Lovecraft maintained that Cthulhu was a creature of his imagination but there are many who believe the author was on the receiving end of something very real and prophetic. Incredibly, there are now cults based on the Cthulhu mythos! (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cthulhu_Mythos_cults)

Are the “secret priests” of Cthulhu working through the strange syncretic religions of modern day Cuba? (for example see, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santer%C3%ADa )

I remain skeptical about such things but finds such as the Cuban Underwater City leaves us with the option:

If built long before homo sapien civilization, could this be the former dwelling place of a non-human intelligence?

Cuba has no shortage of mystery and I look forward to exploring more of the island, her secrets and surrounding waters.

-AJB

This article has 2 comments

Interesting read. I too am interested in the ruins off Pinar del Rio. It is very possible that Atlantis was real, and that it could have been found in the Caribbean, or that perhaps it was a global empire. Being Cuban though, I’m biased 😄.
Quick tip: if you wish to increase the odds of dream remembrance, try meditating before hitting the hay or setting an alarm for the middle-to-late period of the night (with your journal right next to you, of course).
As for extra-sensorial perception, I’d recommend meditation. Apparently the pineal gland is our spiritual antenna and meditation (coupled with a healthy diet) can sharpen it.
🤗